Today’s healthcare facilities face several hurdles when it comes to hiring medical professionals. Those staffing challenges stem from several factors, including a growing shortage of healthcare workers, finding job candidates who are truly qualified to meet their needs, and competing with other facilities to attract the industry’s top talent. Many discover that once they find the candidates they’re looking for and bring them onto their teams, burnout and high turnover rates often leave them struggling to keep them onboard. Those issues can lead to staffing gaps that negatively affect their existing employees as well as their patients.
Overcoming Healthcare Staffing Challenges
Despite the many challenges involved in healthcare staffing, it’s possible to build an effective strategy for finding qualified job candidates, bringing them into your fold, and enticing them to stay for the long haul. Several measures can help you with all of those aspects. Keep the following tips and resources for hiring providers in mind to build and shape your healthcare team.
Work With a Healthcare Staffing Agency
One of the best ways to find highly qualified candidates who are likely to be a good fit for your team is to work with a healthcare staffing agency. These staffing agencies are among your most effective resources in the healthcare field. They have extensive databases of pre-screened candidates who are looking for positions to fill. They have clients in a vast range of highly specialized fields as well. At the same time, they’ll post your job across numerous relevant job boards to ensure as many prospects see it as possible. That’s only a small portion of the services they offer.
Respond Quickly to Interested Candidates
Another effective solution is to respond quickly to candidates who show interest in your job openings. Don’t leave them waiting for days to hear from you once they express interest. As mentioned, competition is stiff among healthcare facilities right now. If you don’t let candidates know you’re interested in them, other facilities will. When they do, you could miss out on a highly qualified prospect that’s perfect for your team.
Bolster Your Benefits Packages
Attracting leading talent isn’t only about making sure the right candidates see your job openings and quickly following up once you receive their applications. You still have to draw them further in and give them incentives to choose you over the other facilities that are vying for their attention. Bolstering your benefits packages can help you do just that.
Some of the perks candidates may find attractive are sign-on bonuses, relocation assistance, and student loan repayment programs. Of course, there are also the more obvious incentives, like retirement benefits and paid time off. Flexible scheduling is becoming increasingly sought after these days as well.
Build Your Company Culture
In many industries, candidates are now looking into potential employers’ company cultures before deciding whether they’re interested in their job openings. Healthcare is no exception. For some, this factor is even more important than the salary an employer offers. Building a strong, supportive company culture may set your facility apart from others in prospects’ eyes. It can help you not only attract leading talent but also reduce your employee turnover rates.
Building Your Healthcare Team
In light of all the staffing challenges in the healthcare field, building a strong, stable team isn’t easy. Attracting top talent, eclipsing competitors, and keeping personnel for the long term take several measures. With the tips and resources listed here, though, you can overcome the hurdles you’re up against and develop a team that works well together for the greater good of your patients and your facility.
